A Tribute to Ritchie Valens
Special to Out & About

Richard Steven “Ritchie” Valenzuela (May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959), better known by the stage name Ritchie Valens, was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Valens’ recording career lasted only eight months. During this time however, he scored several hits, most notably “Donna” which peaked at number two on the Billboard Best Sellers chart. The flip side featured “La Bamba”, which was originally a Mexican folk song that Valens transformed into a rock rhythm.

On February 3, 1959, on what has become known as “the day the music died,” Valens was killed in a small-plane crash outside Mason City, Iowa, an event that also claimed the lives of fellow musicians Buddy Holly and J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. Ritchie’s family has re-created the final tour six times in five years. This re-creation of the final tour features John Mueller as Buddy Holly, J. P. Richardson, the Big Bopper’s son and Ray Anthony as Ritchie Valens. Opening the show is Ritchie’s brother Mario with the Backyard Blues Band. Special guests include Ritchie’s girlfriend “Donna” and Mr. Tommy Allsup, the man who tossed the coin with Ritchie that fateful night. He is a musical giant in his own right.

A portion of proceeds go to benefit Guitars not Guns and there will be a special drawing for a re-issue of Ritchie’s first guitar, a Harmony Stratone, signed by Ritchie’s  family and the other artist’s. This year’s concert will be held at The Henry J. Mello Center for the Performing Arts in Watsonville on Saturday February 6. Doors open at 6:30 with the show starting at 7:30pm.

Tickets are available at Santa Cruz Civic Box Office – 307 Church Street in Santa Cruz, by calling 831-420-5260, or online at www.santacruztickets.com. All tickets subject to service charge. For more information visit www.ritchievalens.com

Guitars not Guns provide guitars and lessons to foster kids, at risk youth and other deserving children in a classroom setting with qualified teachers. No child is turned away for lack of funds. The founders of Guitars not Guns are Ray and Louise Nelson. They became foster parents in 1992 and it was through their experience with foster kids that Ray decided to provide foster kids with guitars and lessons. He began asking friends and strangers for their used guitars to pass along to foster kids. This act of kindness became his passion and as a result there are guitar classrooms across the USA and Canada. Their goal is to help stop violence in schools and on the streets by providing a music program for at risk teens and other deserving children. By providing children and teens with guitars and lessons, we hope to engage their creative potential. It’s all about helping underprivileged kids and teens. For more information visit www.Guitarsnotguns.org